SEVEN-SPOTTED LADY-BIRD. 49 
there is some especially bad attack of Plant-lice. Consequently the 
mischief that is being done by the Plant-lice is apt to be attributed to 
the very insects which are clearing the Plant-lice off, even to the 
extent of labour and time being given in careful destruction of the 
Lady-birds. 
Last year I had enquiries as to the nature of Lady-bird infestation 
from widely distant localities, and as it is somewhat of interest to find 
it present on three distinct kinds of crops, namely, on leafage of Tur- 
nips; Mangolds; and aiso Tares, and Beans, I give the notes as follows. 
The following observation was sent me, on July 28rd, from near 
Grampound, in Cornwall, on the part of a farmer, who, finding his 
Turnips perishing, and the very noticeable Lady-bird grubs in vast 
numbers upon the leafage, not unnaturally credited them with the 
mischief :— 
‘* To-day a farmer showed me the enclosed insects; he has never 
seen them before. They are in thousands on his Turnips, and are, to 
use his words, cutting them to pieces. I should like to know what 
they are, why they come, what they do, and how to get rid of them?” 
The accompanying specimens proved to be grubs of one of our 
large kinds of Lady-bird Beetle, and after a few days, on further com- 
munication and development of specimens, the infestation proved to 
be of larve (grubs) and beetles of our very common and handsome 
Seven-spotted Lady-bird, the Coccinella septempunctata. 
On Aug. 11th the following note was sent me from a farm in 
the neighbourhood of Sandy, Bedfordshire :—‘‘ I am sending you a 
fly which I found in my Mangolds to-day; it has already done con- 
siderable mischief to them, and perhaps you will kindly tell me what 
ibis.) 
In this instance the Lady-birds were still in the grub state, and 
with them were black aphides on the Mangold leaves, showing very 
plainly what it was that had brought their natural enemies ; and a few 
days later I received the following communication, with larva enclosed, 
mentioning the presence of the Lady-birds also on the Beans, which, 
as is unnecessary to say, is a crop particularly liable to infestation of 
Aphides or Plant-lice. My correspondent observed :— 
‘«T found some Lady-birds on some Beans close to the Mangolds, 
and I only took the one specimen of the insect I sent to you, as I 
thought I would wait till hearing from you about it before I did any- 
thing. Some of the Mangolds are badly attacked with the aphides, 
but perhaps some nice showers will wash them off.” 
On Sept. 4th the following note was sent me by one of my corre- 
spondents at Appleby, near Doncaster, which, it will be seen, shows 
the presence of Lady-birds in myriads as helpers to destroy the 
aphides on yet another kind of crop to those previously mentioned :— 
E 
